Body Wisdom in Dialogue is a guide book for understanding the feelings that enable and sustain heartfelt discussions as collective conversations, an ancient art which has been continued within tribal cultures. It is the second AGORAS publication by Thomas Flanagan and Ken Bausch, Ph.D. Saybrook 1998, and follows last year’s book, A Democratic Approach to Sustainable Futures. In one way, Body Wisdom might have come first as it presents the underlying theory (or is it theology?) for the Structured Dialogic Design – SDD - process described in the earlier book.

Body Wisdom addresses how we surface ideas that are embodied below the level of our conscious knowing and then sort out the wheat from the chafe, primarily in a collective context. The authors state that such ideas are known through body wisdom, the repository of inner feelings that can speak to our mind in a conscious way (p. 32). For a collective, these ideas might relate to what are sometimes called wicked problems that resist analysis because there are so many entangled issues and unintended consequences which can potentially result from tackling the problem prematurely. On the other hand, SDD and body wisdom techniques are probably not the best approach to deal with emergencies that require immediate, expert action to avert further disaster (I am recalling the Fukishima nuclear disaster response last year, though SDD would likely be an excellent way to develop contingency plans for such an event).

One technique to elicit unconscious ideas is the use of a trigger question. Trigger questions play an important role to surface the unmanifested ideas from their embodied, unconscious state. The authors give the example of a new cohort of participants for an Indigenous leadership development program who are asked upon entering the program, “Where did you get your Medicine?” This type of existential question is designed to elicit self-disclosure and common group experiences, leading to more cohesion as the cohort evolves. One could imagine asking President Obama about his controversial healthcare program – “How will this be our healing?” – and then listening closely to his answer!

The authors cite the Greek myth of Psyche (mind) and Aphrodite to illustrate the dynamic tension between the unformed yet salient new idea and the current embodied wisdom and practice (Aphrodite), especially as these play out in an organizational context. New ideas exist initially like Psyche, nebulous and still emergent, unproven and undefined, but also pushing at us in some way to find expression. Aphrodite, then, is the current paradigm: its attractiveness; business model; culture; technology; known markets; profits and revenues; respectability (she is a goddess, after all). It is against and with Aphrodite that Psyche must prove herself, but first she has to know herself and to this end is given a set of trials.

So it is with salient ideas; we have to first know them before we can prove them to ourselves and others. This is where body wisdom comes in; it helps us to discern when we need to engage an important problem (p. 132). Not necessarily how to engage, which is more in the domain of our rational mental process and which can be assisted by SDD. Thus, the two domains of body/goddess andmind/reason find each other in a common purpose, as the authors describe.

Saybrook Psychology Alumnus Dr. Bob Flax (Ph.D. '92), also a faculty member and Chief Research Coordinator at Saybrook University's Graduate College of Psychology and Humanistic Studies, has been named to the governing body of the World Federalist Movement. The announcement was made at the WFM’s 26th annual conference in July. Founded in 1947 to support the efforts of the United Nations, the WFM is a worldwide organization dedicated to promoting peace and the global rule of law: it is the primary sponsor of the International Criminal Court and the U.N.’s “Responsibility to Protect” initiative, among other major global efforts.

The Vice-President of the Democratic World Federalists, Flax’s interest in global law and governance grew out of his work as a senior clinical psychologist for the California Department of Corrections, treating individuals, couples, families, and groups. He expanded his focus to include larger systems and studied organizational development and conflict resolution, and has worked to test these approaches in a wide range of settings, including businesses, non-profits, intentional communities, and the California State Prison system. Dr. Flax finally arrived at the next logical step – the way we work together as citizens of the world.

Bob lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a key faculty member in Saybrook’s program in Social Transformation, which offers a body of practical knowledge to support students who want to connect the library to the street in pursuit of meaningful social change.

Dr. Flax's Saybrook Doctoral Dissertation was titled, From Beginner to Master: Changes in the Ways of Being, Perceiving, and Practicing of Psychotherapists as They Acquire and Develop Clinical Skill, and was chaired by Dr. Tony Stigliano.

The Saybrook Alumni Association and Saybrook University are proud to announce that Psychology Alumnus Dr. Sil Machado was recently appointed to the Core Faculty at the Sanville Institute for Clinical Social Work and Psychotherapy in Berkeley, CA.

Established in 1974, the Sanville Institute offers a PhD in clinical social work and a two-year certificate program in psychodynamic psychotherapy to masters-level licensed and pre-licensed clinicians. The Institute promotes clinical scholarship that integrates theory and practice. Largely focusing on contemporary psychodynamic theory and practice, the program is a dispersed model of learning for working professionals who seek the challenge of doctoral studies within a program that allows for individualized interests and perspectives.

Dr. Machado received his Ph.D. from Saybrook in 2011. His dissertation titled, Gay Men And The Poetics Of Facing Negative Parental Reactions To The Disclosure Of Gay Identity, was chaired by Dr. Willson Williams.

Saybrook University psychology alumnus and faculty member Dr. Kirk Schneider (Ph.D. '84) has been appointed to an adjunct faculty position at Teachers College, Dept. of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Columbia University. He will be teaching a summer session on Awakening to Awe: An Existential-Integrative Approach to Therapy, July 2 through August 6, 2012.

Dr. Schneider also just completed a new book called The Polarized Mind: Why It's Killing Us and What We Can Do About It that is currently under review at a major publisher. The book is an existential exploration of why and how power centers and their leaders have become repeatedly polarized down through history up to present times, which includes concrete steps we can take to address this core human peril.

Dr. Schneider's Doctoral Dissertation at Saybrook, Clients' Perceptions of the Positive and Negative Characteristics of Their Counselors, was chaired by Dr. Jurgen Kremer. Kirk is a former editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, and is the current Vice President of the Existential-Humanistic Institute's Board of Directors.

Saybrook Psychology Alumna Dr. Ellie Zarrabian (Ph.D. 2010) is a third generation Shamanic Healer and the Founder and Spiritual Director of Centerpeace Foundation - A Holistic Center for Psychotherapy and Spirituality. Dr. Zarrabian incorporates her Shamanic roots from the Sufi/Jewish tradition in Iran with her background in Transpersonal Psychology to help bring health and wellness to individuals, families, and communities.

Describing her upcoming workshop, Sacred Sexuality: Uncovering, Discovering and Reclaiming Sexuality and the Sacred, Dr. Zarrabian suggests thatSexual energy is found in all areas of life including the way in which we express ourselves and our truth. She emphasizes that whether we are in the bedroom or the boardroom, our sexual/ sensual energy dictates how open, receptive, giving, creative, and connected we are with ourselves and others, and that many of us go through life without really having much awareness about this powerful and often wounded aspect of the self.

According to Dr. Zarrabian, the focus of this workshop with be on cultivating awareness of how we work with our individual sexual/sensual energy. Participants will look at how they hold sexual trauma in the body, and how they express it. Once insight is gained, attendees will practice letting go of trauma and replacing that energy with life affirming and sustainable sexual/sensual energy that can be shared between partners. This workshop will be the first in a series.

Dr. Zarrabian's doctoral dissertation at Saybrook University was titled, The Usefulness of Meditation in the Alleviation of Self Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Women, which was chaired by the late, esteemed Dr. Jeanne Achterberg. As a result of personal experience, Ellie is also interested in the overlap between mental illness and mystical states, an interest informed by her work with schizophrenic youth at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

Her upcoming workshop, Sacred Sexuality: Uncovering, Discovering and Reclaiming Sexuality and the Sacred, will be held on Saturday, June 30th, 2012 from 9 AM to 12 Noon, Pacific Time. See the calendar at www.wheelofwellbeing.com.

To contact Dr. Zarrabian about this workshop, and her psychotherapy and shamanic healing practices, visit her Centerpeace Foundation web page at www.centeronpeace.com or call Ellie at 310-498-3573. Dr. Zarrabian resides in Los Angeles.

The brain can be trained to identify and redirect anger impulses before they are automatically expressed, according to Saybrook University Psychology Alumnus Dr. Steven Wolf. Steven is so confident individuals can learn to redirect anger impulses in a positive way that he guarantees success for those who complete his three stage training program.

Steven Wolf, Ph.D. (Saybrook, 1986) is a Licensed Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, and is a Level V Diplomate with the National Anger Management Association. In 2009, Steve founded the Wolf Training Institute to train and certify practitioners to teach Taming Your Anger/Emotional Intelligence (TYA), a program which qualifies the trainee for Certification by the National Anger Management Association.

Taming Your Anger is a simple program based on principles of Cognitive Behavioral Psychology and Mindfulness Meditation. Steve’s primary focus is to train licensed therapists and other mental health workers to teach the program in schools, to military veterans, in alcohol and drug rehab programs, and in their private therapy practices. His long term goal is to see TYA taught as basic curriculum in modern educational settings.

Dr. Wolf first conceived of TYA while working as a co-occurring disorders therapist with men coming directly from prison or from the streets. He was approached by numerous two strikers who said, “Hey Doc, can you help me control my anger? If I lose my temper again, I’m could go to jail for the rest of my life.” The traditional anger management curriculum Steve had been certified to teach was not providing these men with the skills they needed to control their behavior, so he developed TYA, which is comprised of four basic tools necessary for success. These four tools are included in most, known, anger-management programs, but the key to TYA’s success is that it relies on repetition to train the brain to develop new, alternative, neurological patterns to change behavior.

Dr. Wolf's many accomplishments include: directing New York City’s first Therapeutic Community Drug Program at Rikers Island Prison; directing a Day Treatment Center in Litchfield, Connecticut as a volunteer with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department; co-creating Project Turnaround, an Acupuncture Detox program on L.A.’s skid row; co-creating an alternative middle school in Topanga California; co-authoring Romancing the Shadow: A guide to Soul Work for a Vital Authentic Life (Ballantine, 1997, translated into six languages); and developing The Village Circle Project: Leaderless Groups for Self-exploration, working with men coming directly from prison, jail, and the street. He also authored Taming Your Anger and EQ-101 Building Blocks of Emotional Intelligence, workbooks, C.D.s, and workshops.

Steve has taught the Taming Your Anger program to men on parole and probation, to women in the LA Women’s Prison, to at-risk teens on probation, to doctors, lawyers, CEOs, producers, and to families in his private practice. He teaches the program via the internet, webcasts, webinars, telephone conference calls, or in person in his private therapy office.

Dr. Wolf will be offering a free webinar on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 PM PST.

Saybrook University Psychology Alumna, and founder and executive director of Synthesis International, Inc. Dr. Phyllis Clay (Ph.D. 2011) will be offering a 4-day Journey to the Self at Casa Maria Immacolata in Assisi, Italy. Dr. Clay, a psychosynthesis guide and teacher, has also apprenticed with Don Oscar Miro Quesada, Peruvian curandero and master ceremonialist. Phyllis graduated from Saybrook University in 2011. Her dissertation was chaired by the late Dr. Jeanne Achterberg and was titled Understanding The Experiences Of Individuals Who Believe They Are Mentored By Someone Who Is No Longer Living.

In this workshop in June, participants will build upon ancient Inca cosmology and Roberto Assagioli’s map of human consciousness as they deeply explore the multiple levels of their own lives. This personal (and collective) journey will draw on the landscape of Assisi, as well as the lives and experiences of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, to assist in this inner exploration. This rich multi-layering will provide opportunities for self-reflection and discovery. Using journaling, other expressive arts, and reflective conversation, participants will tell their own lives to themselves and to each other (as they choose) and will discover their Selves in the process.

A Journey to the Self

in the Landscape of Francis and Clare

Assisi, Italy – 17-21 June 2012

Facilitator and Journey Guide: Phyllis L. Clay, Ph.D.

The workshop will begin at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 17, and will conclude at breakfast on Thursday, June 21.

Registration: $1225

The registration fee for the Journey includes facilitation, all materials (with the exception of your personal journal), double occupancy lodging in lovely Casa Maria Immacolata [June 17-20], local transportation from our lodging to distant Journey sites, all breakfasts, three lunches, and all dinners. One lunch will be on your own. Limited single lodging may be available – inquire when registering.

According to an article in CNBC's Bullish On Books, written by Saybrook Psychology Alumnus Dr. Rick Gilbert, more than two thirds of middle level managers don’t know how to present information at top-level meetings. They end up "shooting themselves in the foot." In his new book, Speaking Up: Surviving Executive Presentations, Dr. Gilbert describes how presentations done well can help the presenter "become a star and the company become more productive."

After receiving a PhD in Psychology from Saybrook University in 1977, Dr. Gilbert worked for several Silicon Valley technology companies, and eventually went on to start his own speech communication training company in 1985. His book Speaking Up: Surviving Executive Presentations explores the little known but critical skills necessary for middle level managers to succeed when giving top level presentations.

In 2011, Dr. Gilbert also published his Saybrook dissertation Jazz, Rock and Roll, and the Revolution in Psychotherapy, 1950-1975.

Saybrook University Psychology Alumnus and Director of The Program for Public Consultation Dr. Steven Kull releases results of a new study in a public presentation, What Kind of Defense Budget Would the American Public Make?

Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:00-11:30 am

The Stimson Center 1111 19th Street, NW 12th Floor

In this presentation and in cooperation with other colleagues, Dr. Kull will dicuss what average Americans would do if they were informed about the level and purposes of U.S. defense spending and had a chance to weigh the arguments that experts make. They will address the following questions: would the public boost overall funding, or cut it; would they spend more on air power or sea power; and how much would they say the US should spend on nuclear arms, on major ground forces, and on special forces?

Most polls simply ask whether defense spending should be cut or not. But three organizations, ­ the Program for Public Consultation (PPC), the Stimson Center, and the Center for Public Integrity ­ collaborated on a more useful survey. They provided a representative sample of the American public neutral information about how funds are currently being spent, and exposed them to the various arguments made by advocates in the contemporary debate on whether defense should be cut. The respondents then said what they wished to spend in key areas.

The results of this innovative survey are now in, and Dr. Kull and his colleagues invite you to attend a presentation that will shed new light on the linkages ­ and gaps ­ between decisions being made in Washington and what average Americans want. The results will also make clear which arguments in favor of or opposed to current defense spending have the most resonance with members of the public. Please call 202-232-7500 for additional information.

Dr. Kull received his Ph.D. at Saybrook University in 1980. The chair of his dissertation was Dr. Stan Krippner. Dr. Kull is a political psychologist, is director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), which manages WorldPublicOpinion.org, and is a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), University of Maryland. He is also director of the Program for Public Consultation, which develops methods for governments to consult their publics on policy decisions. Dr. Kull has played a central role in the BBC World Service global poll, and regularly gives briefings to the US Congress, the State Department, the UN, and the European Commission. He appears frequently in the international media and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He recently completed a four-year study of the Muslim public, summarized in his newest book Feeling Betrayed: The Roots of Muslim Anger at America (Brookings).

* The Program for Public Consultation is a joint program of the Center for PolicyAttitudes and the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland

Saybrook University and the Saybrook Alumni Association are pleased to announce that Saybrook Human Science Alumna Dr. K. Kevyne Baar was awarded the New York University College of Arts and Science (CAS) Outstanding Teaching Award. The Dean wrote, "I am delighted to be able to congratulate you on winning [this award] in recognition of your excellence in undergraduate teaching."

Each year, New York University’s College of Arts and Science recognizes faculty for their outstanding contribution to learning in the classroom. This award goes to adjunct faculty who teach in any of the numerous departments that make up CAS. Professor Baar was nominated by students in her class, Women, the Entertainment Industry, and the Blacklist Era. The criterion for this award includes teaching effectiveness, leadership in undergraduate education, and contribution to student advisement and mentoring.

Doctor Baar received her Ph.D. from Saybrook University in Human Science in 2006. Her dissertation was titled Investigating Broadway: The House Committee on Un American Activities Meets Members of the New York Theatre Community at the Foley Square Courthouse, August 15 18, 1955, which was chaired by Dr.Steven Pritzker.